Plasma reactor with minimal D.C. coils for cusp, solenoid and mirror fields for plasma uniformity and device damage reduction

• US 8,617,351 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoffman, Daniel J., Lindley, Roger A., Kutney, Michael C., Salinas, Martin J., Tavassoli, Hamid F., Horioka, Keiji, Buchberger, Douglas A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): DHINGRA, RAKESH KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US11/046,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20050167051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,259 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345.46, 216/67
• US Class Current: 156/345.46
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32091 the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3266 Magnetic control means

Abstract

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, includes a vacuum chamber defined by a sidewall and ceiling, and a workpiece support pedestal having a workpiece support surface in the chamber and facing the ceiling and including a cathode electrode. An RF power generator is coupled to the cathode electrode. Plasma distribution is controlled by an external annular inner electromagnet in a first plane overlying the workpiece support surface, an external annular outer electromagnet in a second plane overlying the workpiece support surface and having a greater diameter than the inner electromagnet, and an external annular bottom electromagnet in a third plane underlying the workpiece support surface. D.C. current supplies are connected to respective ones of the inner, outer and bottom electromagnets.

Claims

1. A method of processing a wafer in a plasma reactor comprising a workpiece support surface and an overhead source power applicator overlying a ceiling of the reactor and facing said workpiece support surface, comprising:

generating a plasma in a process region over said workpiece support surface while supporting the workpiece on said workpiece support surface;

generating a DC magnetic field in said process region by applying respective DC current levels to concentric inner and outer DC coils above and displaced by different distances from said RF source power applicator and to a bottom DC coil at an axial location below said wafer;

determining an uncorrected plasma ion density distribution at said workpiece support surface;

determining changes in plasma ion density distribution as functions of D.C. current applied one at a time to respective ones of said inner, outer and bottom electromagnets;

mathematically adding said functions with said uncorrected plasma distribution for different combinations of D.C. currents applied to said inner, outer and bottom electromagnets, so as to compute plural trial plasma ion density distributions;

searching said trial plasma ion density distributions for at least one corresponding to a desired correction in plasma ion density distribution, and determining a corrective set of currents corresponding to coil currents associated with the one trial density distribution; and

performing the desired correction by applying said corrective set of currents to respective ones of said inner, outer and bottom electromagnets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said desired correction in plasma ion distribution comprises an increase in plasma ion density near a periphery of said process region relative to plasma ion density near the center of said process region.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said desired correction in plasma ion density distribution comprises a change in plasma ion density near a periphery of said process region relative to plasma ion density at a center of said process region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein two of said respective DC current levels are non-zero current levels whereby two of said DC coils corresponding to the two non-zero DC current levels establish a radial magnetic field.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising generating an axial magnetic field by applying a DC current to a third one of said DC coils, said axial magnetic field having a strength less than said radial magnetic field.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said two DC coils comprise one of said inner and outer coils and said bottom coil and said third DC coil is the other of said inner and outer coils.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to processing said wafer, finding a solenoidal magnetic field in said process region that produces a desired uniformity of plasma ion density radial distribution and determining a radial component of said solenoidal field; and

wherein said performing said desired correction comprises increasing a radial component produced by said coils beyond the strength of said radial component of said solenoidal magnetic field until plasma ion density radial distribution uniformity at least nearly reaches said desired uniformity produced by said solenoidal magnetic field.

8. A method of processing a wafer in a plasma reactor comprising a workpiece support surface and an overhead source power applicator overlying a ceiling of the reactor and facing said workpiece support surface, comprising:

generating a plasma in a process region over said workpiece support surface while supporting the workpiece on said workpiece support surface;

generating a DC magnetic field in said process region by applying respective DC current levels to concentric inner and outer DC coils above and displaced by different distances from said RF source power applicator;

determining an uncorrected plasma ion density distribution at said workpiece support surface;

determining changes in plasma ion density distribution as functions of D.C. current applied one at a time to respective ones,of said inner and outer electromagnets;

mathematically adding said functions with said uncorrected plasma distribution for different combinations of D.C. currents applied to said inner and outer electromagnets, so as to compute plural trial plasma ion density distributions;

searching said trial plasma ion density distributions for at least one corresponding to a desired correction in plasma ion density distribution, and determining a corrective set of currents corresponding to coil currents associated with the one trial density distribution; and

performing the desired correction by applying said corrective set of currents to respective ones of said inner and outer electromagnets.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said desired correction in plasma ion distribution comprises an increase in plasma ion density near a periphery of said process region relative to plasma ion density near the center of said process region.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said desired correction in plasma ion density distribution comprises a change in plasma ion density near a periphery of said process region relative to plasma ion density at a center of said process region.